The Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) today announced a $179,425 loan to Van Buren County to address brownfield conditions at a former drycleaner in Paw Paw.

The brownfield loan will mitigate contaminated soil and potential indoor air issues at the former Paw Paw Laundry, located on Michigan Avenue. Midwest V, LLC will demolish the abandoned Paw Paw Laundry building and construct a new Dollar General retail store.

The MDEQ is investing another $1.5 million for additional building demolition and to excavate and dispose of highly contaminated soils resulting from the historic dry cleaning operations. The redevelopment will create ten jobs and $250,000 in new property taxes by 2018.

The DEQ’s Brownfield Redevelopment Program provides grants and loans to local governments for environmental activities on brownfield properties where redevelopment is proposed. Brownfields are vacant or abandoned properties with known or suspected environmental contamination.